University of Maryland School of Dentistry
dental school in Baltimore, Maryland, United States

The University of Maryland School of Dentistry (abbreviated UMSOD), is the dental school of the University System of Maryland. It was founded as an independent institution, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, in 1840 and was the birthplace of the Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) degree. It is known as the first dental college in the world. It is headquartered at the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus. It is the only dental school in Maryland.
History
Related history: Harvard School of Dental Medicine > History
The Baltimore College of Dental Surgery (BCDS) was chartered by an act of the General Assembly of Maryland (state legislature) in 1840. Its co-founders, Doctors Horace H. Hayden and Chapin A. Harris have been both inducted in the Pierre Fauchard Academy Hall of Fame. Dr. Harris was the school's first dean and a professor of practical dentistry. Following the death of Dr.
The public source identifies “University of Maryland School of Dentistry” as dental school in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around University, Maryland and School.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “University of Maryland School of Dentistry”, the useful work is to connect “dental school in Baltimore, Maryland, United States” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Chronology, provenance and viewpoint should be read together before a broad social or political interpretation is accepted. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q4852828. VIAF identifies the subject as 8687153532485748820003. The Library of Congress control number is no2018112741. Authority coordinates are 39.289, -76.626. 5 of 6 selected statements include explicit references; 2 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1840.
Official terminology may obscure informal participation, dissent or communities documented only indirectly. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Compare institutional narratives with records created by participants and affected communities. Dates and formal titles are useful anchors, but not substitutes for context.
- Event chronology
- Institutional context
- Locating named record creators
Contemporary correspondence, government or organizational records, oral histories and cited historical scholarship.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “University of Maryland School of Dentistry”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow University of Maryland School of Dentistry primary sources, University of Maryland School of Dentistry archive and University research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “University of Maryland School of Dentistry”?
- What chronology connects this entry to wider political or social change?
- Which voices are present, absent or mediated by the institution?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “University of Maryland School of Dentistry” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.